Razer Acquires THX as Both Expand Focus to Virtual Reality

Gaming accessory maker Razer has acquired THX and will continue to run the audio company as an independent subsidiary, both companies announced Monday. Razer is acquiring the company from Creative Labs; terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

The acquisition will help THX to expand its business both overseas, with a special focus on China, as well as toward new device categories, including virtual reality (VR) headsets, said THX CEO Ty-Ahmad Taylor. “We will be exceptionally well capitalized moving forward,” Taylor told Variety.

THX was founded by George Lucas in 1983, and spun off from Lucasfilm in 2002. The company is best known for certifying movie theater sound systems, and has also been offering the same services in the home theater and automotive space. More recently, it has been looking to certify VR headsets, according to Taylor.

Razer on the other hand is best known for making gaming PCs, keyboards, mice, and other gamer-focused accessories. The company has also been aiming to expand into VR, and developed an open source-based VR software platform.

Asked whether this could potentially lead to conflicts of interest, Taylor said that he didn’t foresee any problems. “We are not constrained as to who we work with,” he said.